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Happy birthday, Ma’am

Caption: Her Maj changes a tire. In 1945, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service as a mechanic and driver, making her the last living head of state to have worn her country’s uniform in WWII.

‘Tis her 90th today. Her real birthday, not the day the nation usually celebrates, which varies. They’re lighting the beacons this evening — a thing they don’t do often. A thing I’d like to see, but they’re not lighting the ones near us.

Note to self: apply for citizenship while you can still say the oath to this lady.

PRINCE DIES ON QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY. The headlines write themselves. Also, Scott Jacob wins the Dead Pool. I’ll queue up a new Dead Pool for tomorrow — which is kind of a relief because I’ll be away all day at a conference tomorrow. See you here, Friday 6pm WBT. Well, I won’t be here, but the new Deal Pool will.

Comments

Comment from Uncle BadgerTime: April 21, 2016, 6:13 pm

Her Majesty has never changed a ‘tire’ in her life.

A ‘tyre’, yes…

koff

Comment from Subotai BahadurTime: April 21, 2016, 6:44 pm

While you are technically correct in the local dialect of English, since Sweas has not become a British subject, it is not unreasonable for her to still speak ‘Murican dialect. And for that matter, I rather suspect that you are more than passing fond of her ‘Murican-ness.

Comment from Scott JacobsTime: April 21, 2016, 7:08 pm

I guess now he really is “the artist formerly known as Prince.”

Comment from Uncle BadgerTime: April 21, 2016, 7:22 pm

Would you believe, Subotai Bahadur, that Her Stoatliness will never be a British subject? And neither will I…. They changed us all into citizens some years ago, quite unannounced. I didn’t feel a thing but it was damn sneaky of them.

Comment from Skandia RecluseTime: April 21, 2016, 11:31 pm

I don’t believe that I have ever heard a prince song.

Comment from Scott JacobsTime: April 22, 2016, 12:11 am

Do you not live in society? How could you not have ever heard a Prince song?

Comment from Subotai BahadurTime: April 22, 2016, 12:37 am

Uncle Badger,

My condolences. If you are a sovereign, you have moral obligations to take care of your subjects. The State has no obligations to citizens.

Subotai Bahadur

Comment from Ric FanTime: April 22, 2016, 1:58 am

How could you not have heard 1999? They played it nonstop through out 1999.

Anyway, Prince’s death is turning into a real mystery. Was it:

Flu?
AIDS?
OD?
Murder?

Comment from mojoTime: April 22, 2016, 10:22 am

Someone actually picked Prince in the pool?

I suspect foul play.

Comment from Scott JacobsTime: April 22, 2016, 11:58 am

I have an excellent alibi…

Comment from Wolfus AureliusTime: April 22, 2016, 1:20 pm

I was never terribly impressed with Prince as an artist. However, he was a good songwriter; his “Manic Monday” as performed by the Bangles is a solid, catchy tune. Now, of course, everyone, his brother, and their pets are coming out of the woodwork with tributes to Prince. The only impressive one was that from Eric Clapton. When someone asked him what it was like to be the best guitar player in the world, he reportedly said, “Ask Prince.”

He also dated more good-looking girls than Justin Timberlake: Vanity, Vanessa Marcil, and Sherilyn Fenn among ’em.

Comment from mojoTime: April 22, 2016, 5:05 pm

Interesting pic, the Princess and the tyre. Note in the background, a pair of ladies working on another vehicle, and the guy by the front wheel, watching HRH change the tyre. Probably because he already knew how to change one.

Maybe a Brit can correct me, but from all accounts Her Maj actually wanted to “be useful” during the war and did work as a mechanic.

She also used to drive in truck conveys, driving her minders crazy with apprehension.

Anyone still remember the phrase, “Noblesse Oblige”?

Comment from JeffersonianTime: April 26, 2016, 4:00 am

HRH has always reminded me of my grandma. Who is German. Which makes sense. It also strikes me that QE II is exceptionally intelligent.

Prince was a musical genius. Slow hand can not be wrong.

Comment from MachiavelliTime: April 26, 2016, 10:46 am

Technically, she wasn’t the head of state when this picture was taken. Only the heir presumptive…

Comment from Bill BefortTime: April 26, 2016, 7:05 pm

Hey, I’ve lived in the US for nearly 75 years, north, south, east & west, including trips abroad with mixed groups of infantry, newspaper editing, and college teaching, and I’ve NEVER heard anyone anywhere pronounce “American” as “Murican.” Where the hell did this dumb trope come from, and why do people keep repeating it?

Not that I’m ever likely to be back for an answer.

Comment from S. WeaselTime: April 26, 2016, 8:25 pm

Oh, Bill — we hardly knew ye!

I think it’s an imitation of George Bush’s mush-mouth pronunciations.

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